Ice day

Hey Ya'll!

 

I live around the Houston Area in Texas and our winters are not very extreme. We will hit the 40's and 50's during the day and the 30's at night, and then other days we will be in the 60's and 70's during the day. Every once it a while it actually gets cold. And yesterday was the day it happened.

 

Our high was 36 degrees and it stayed below freezing majority of the day. This wouldn't have been a big deal, except that it was also raining and sleeting all morning. Another thing about Houston - we have giant highways. I drive over those highways every day for work, including several bridges that go over water. And you guessed it, those brides/highways had ice all over them. So many of you are thinking "So what? Big deal!" but it kinda is a big deal since our city is very unprepared. We don't have snow plows or trucks to salt the streets.

 

This whole situation caused for an ice day in Houston. I was stuck and unable to make it work, along with my family. This meant I was able to watch the newest episode of Pretty Little Liars, Law and Order SUV marathon, drink hot chocolate and snuggle with my puppy.

 

Today is back to normal. Our high is 62 degrees with a low of 42 degrees and all the ice is melting away. At least it was fun while it lasted.

 

Here are some photos from my ice day. :)

Ice on the grass and baby icicles,

Jaidyn Snuggling with Ken

 

Harry Potter Weekend

Jaidyn laying with me

 

And then I started watching YouTube videos and decided to see what I look like with short hair. I posted this on facebook, and even though I have now said I didn't actually cut it, people are still commenting on it. I think I look like a soccer mom.

 

xo

bre

Top 5: Thankful List

Hey Y'all!

 

It is time. Thanksgiving is just over a week away, so I thought it was time to be a little mushy and let you know the Top 5 things that I am thankful for.

Family

(My Mom, Me and Ken)

(My Brother, Me and My Dad)

I love my family. My parents are awesome and I'm lucky to have a great relationship with each of them. My brother, Brandon, and I didn't go up in the same household and we are 8 years apart, but as I have gotten older I am very grateful for him and our relationship. Ken is probably my favorite person in the world and my best friend. Above everything else I have in my life, my family is the best and I am so thankful that I have them to be there for me.

 

 My Job

Towards the end of the college I started to panic about what I was going to do with my career. I majored in English Literature and minored in Religious Studies...yeah, not a lot of choices. So during my junior year I started an internship with a wedding coordinating company and I fell in love with the event industry. I didn't care what part is was, I loved it all. So I finished my internship and stayed with the coordinating company for another 6 months. During that time an awesome opportunity came up to work for an amazing hotel that I love. So I took it. And now I get to work with an incredible hotel and see pretty events every weekend. It's perfect for me.

 

My puppies

So they aren't actually puppies anymore, but they will always be puppies to me. The one on the left is April (13 years old, 14 in January!) who I get as a birthday present when I was 10. The one on the right is Jaidyn (2 years old, 3 in February) who I get as a birthday present when I was 21. I love them both and they bring me lots of joy. They each have very different personalities and I am uber thankful for them.

 

Texas

More specifically - where I live. I love the part of Texas that I call home. I love that if I want to go to the beach its only a 30 minute drive or if I want to be in a big city its only a 30 minute drive. Also, thanks to my dad, I can hop on a sail boat and be in the middle of the Gulf. I also love that my area has a small town feel without actually being a tiny town.

 

Harry Potter

Y'all knew this was coming right? As many of you know, I love Harry Potter. I love that I grew up with Harry Potter. I am thankful that any time I feel sad or upset I can put on a Harry Potter movie or pick up one of the books and I can escape into an amazing world that will brighten my day.

 

Well thats what I am thankful for, what about you?

 

xo

bre

Top 5: Halloween

Hey Ya'll!

 

Halloween is only days away so I thought it was about time I share my favorite things about Halloween.

 

Pumpkin Carving:



Although I have not had the opportunity to carve a pumpkin this year, I still love it. I love putting my hand in the mushy-ness, baking the seeds and carving something I love, like Harry Potter.

 

Treats:

Who doesn't love all of the yummy treats that come out around Halloween. I think everyone can agree its a big bonus for the holiday. (except maybe my waist line)

 



Halloween Movies:



I am not a huge fan of actual scary movies (like The Conjuring or The Exorcist) but I do love pretty much anything Tim Burton (The Corpse Bride, The Nightmare Before Halloween, Edward Scissor Hands), slashers (Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer), and of course Hocus Pocus!

 

Pumpkins:

I love that pumpkins are everywhere this time of year. I love all the shapes, colors and sizes!

 

Dressing up:

This year I will not be dressing up because my work doesn't allow it and I will be going to a Halloween play after work, there just won't be time. But I still love dressing up and I hope next year I can go full on Walker/Zombie. 

So those are my Halloween Favorites, what are yours?

 

xo

bre

Top 5: Imaginary Worlds

The Wizarding World

 

If you have been reading my blog for a little while you have probably figured out that I am absolutely crazy about Harry Potter. If I could visit or live in any imaginary world it would be The Wizarding World. There are so many awesome things about it! First - MAGIC! It would be awesome to be a witch and use magic. I also love the old world feel of The Wizarding World. I love that they use quills instead of pens, that they still use coins as payment instead of credit cards, and that they use owls to deliver mail instead of email. Of course they are able to live this way, without computers or phones, because they have magic which wins compared to the Internet any day.

 

The Land of Oz

The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies as a kid, even though the monkey's scared me! ha. I love Oz. I love all the different people, the talking animals, and the techo colored horses. When the new movie, Oz the Great and Powerful came out, I was so excited to see more of the land of Oz and I was not disappointed. I was able to see different scenery, more of the Emerald City and the little china doll town.

 

The Enchanted Forest

Once Upon a Time is an awesome show that combines so many fairy tales into one place: The Enchanted Forest. I love that all of the fairy tales belong to one place and are all intertwined and so many of the characters know each other, it's awesome. Their world is magical, exciting and unpredictable. I would like to be Snow White for just a day in The Enchanted Forest.

 

Camp Half-Blood

Camp Half-Blood belongs in the world of Percy Jackson. It is a place where half-blood children go to be safe and train there powers since they each have one part that is a Greek God. I love the whole world created in Percy Jackson - not just Camp Half-Blood though. I love the Greek Mythology, the excitement and quest, and even the underworld was really interesting (but I would only want to stay in the part that was for the good people or the little island paradise part).

 

Narnia

Narnia is awesome. It is beautiful, filled with talking animals and their leader is an all knowing lion. I would love to visit or live in Narnia where I could ride a horse and talk to him at the same time or fight along side a beaver. I mean, even the trees can be used as communication and how can you not think that is awesome?

 

xo

bre

August Favorites

Hey Ya'll!

August is almost over so I thought I would share some beauty and life things I have been loving all month.

Beauty Favorites:

Burt's Bees Miracle Salve

This stuff is awesome. It is for pretty much anything. It is a waxy texture that moisture's so well. So it is perfect for dry hands, feet, scalp or hair. I have been using this product by rubbing a little bit on the ends of my hair to keep them from drying out in the August heat.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion 

I know this isn't a new product and I've actually been using it for a while, but I have just been really grateful for it this month since it has been so hot and humid. It saves my makeup from running down my face daily!

Revlon Photoready Concealer in Fair 001

I have never really been a big user of concealer because I always felt like I didn't really need it and it was just another step. But this month I decided to try one out for under my eyes and redness around my nose and I love it! It has a thick but creamy texture that covers really well. Even though it is a little thick, I only have to use a little and it doesn't feel heavy once it is blended in.

EOS lip balm in Summer Fruit

I'm normally not picky about lip balm. I will pretty much use any kind. When I was waiting in line at Target I saw a group of these little lip balms and decided to try one out. First of all, the Summer Fruit smells amazing. Plus, it is super moisturizing with out being to heavy or waxy. 

Life Favorites:

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I finished this book at the beginning of August and it is so good! I have to warm you though, it is really dark and creepy. It is a great mystery that kept me guessing throughout the whole book. In the end though I felt incredibly sad but the writing is great and it is a really interesting story!

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief

I saw this movie in theaters a while back and told myself I needed to read the book, but I never did. So after I watched the second movie, Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters, I decided it was time to start reading the series. I actually went and picked up this book the same day I saw Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters. It took me a week to finish. I love Greek mythology, so mix that with a modern day adventure and I was hooked. Think Harry Potter with Greek Gods. It was really cool and as usual it had so much more detail than the movie. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Vera Bradley Phone Case

Ken went on vacation earlier this month to visit his family in Colorado. While he was there he picked up this phone case for me and I love it! I have a small obsession with animal prints and these elephants are just too cute!

What are some of your favorites?

xo
bre

Top 5: (Young Adult) Books

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling:

(These covers are awesome, right?)

Ya'll knew this was coming right? Of course Harry Potter is on my top 5 list of favorite young adult books (honestly its my number one on any list). If you haven't read Harry Potter (I actually have a friend that hasn't!!) then you are seriously missing out. Harry Potter is was my childhood. I anticipated every book (and movie), sobbed uncontrollably when my friends characters died, and felt broken hearted after the last movie because I knew it was all over. I love Harry Potter for so many reasons - the characters and their friendships, the rivalry between good and evil, and of course the magic. Although I don't have time to keep up with it much,  I have even joined J.K. Rowling's interactive Harry Potter website and I have been sorted into Slytherin.  I am still waiting for an owl to deliver my letter...

 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger:

I read this novel my freshman year of college in my first English Literature course. I instantly loved it. Although I loved the hate the main character, Holden Caulfield. He is whiny, mean, and annoying in so many ways. But during the novel you get to see spots of softness that make him a little lovable. Since the book was written in the 1950's, it is a different world than what I grew up in and I felt that I could barely relate to Holden. But Holden is supposed to represent what many teenagers and young adults were feeling and going through during that time. It is a great coming of age story.

 

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins:

The Hunger Games Series is awesome. It is set in a post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. Although many people think it is mainly a love-triangle story, I honestly believe it is so much more than that. When I first read the story, the love-triangle fell to the back burner for me since I focused more on the horrible situations that these character were faced with and what they did to change it. I cry every single time I read any of the three books because I love the characters so much. Katniss is a wonderful female character that teen girls should look up to and it many ways I wanted to be like her; to have her strength, courage and power. Mockingjay did not end the way I had hoped, but I also think that the ending is what makes this series truly post-apocalyptic. (by the way - I'm team Gale, if you were wondering)

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:

John Green is a great writer who has a wonderful ability to make you cry and laugh. I adore all of his books, but my favorite is this one. It is a classic story of a boy and girl falling in love with one exception - they both have cancer. Hazel Grace is another great female character and I am so glad I have had the chance to meet her read about her. Her guilty pleasure is watching America's Next Top Model and she is incredibly passionate about her favorite book. What's not to love about her? Warning: when you read it, you will fall in love with Augustus Waters and there is nothing you can do about it

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky:

This is a perfect coming of age story. When you read it, you will instantly connect with Charlie and understand him. If you were a bit of an outcast in high school like me, you will relate to him and love him. The friends he makes in school are all great in their own ways. They are perfectly imperfect and you will love each and everyone of them.

 

 

This was very hard to narrow down since I have so many favorite young adult novels, but I believe that theses are my absolute favorites. Have you read them? What are your favorite books?

 

 

xo

bre



Berry Potter and the Container of Secrets

 

Ummm, can we just talk about how awesome this is? And how much I wish it was real?

 

I mean just look at the description:

Berry Potter and the Container of Secrets: Muggles rejoice! Inside this container you'll find a magical blend of butter beer, Bertie Bott's Strawberry Flavour Beans and chocolate frogs. No need to employ the Dark Arts.

 

....YUM!

 

Also, I'm really missing Harry Potter at the moment. Since his birthday just passed, July 31st, I am now nostalgic for the past when I anticipated the newest Harry Potter novel or movie to satisfy my Harry Potter cravings. But those days are gone and I have to settle for rereading or rewatching the books and movies.

 

xo

bre

 

 

PS. If you want to read the original article with this ice cream click here.